


An Eternal Promise

by Pokeluv101



Series: KuroMahi Week [8]
Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Light Angst, M/M, Protect Kuro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-14
Packaged: 2019-07-12 00:42:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15983951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: KuroMahi Week 2018 || Day 01: Reunion/FarewellA thousand years ago, when he was still human, Kuro wanted to protect his best friend.





	An Eternal Promise

“Here, Kuro, try these and tell me if you can taste the cinnamon. They’re fresh. Just be careful because it’s hot.” Mahiru warned his friend as he set a tray of freshly made muffins in front of him. It was hot in the bakery and Mahiru wiped his sweat from his forehead with his apron. His shirt rose slightly as he did so and Kuro caught himself staring. He pulled his eyes away and ate a muffin.

He went back to the old stone oven to put out the flames. Without the fire blazing, it became cooler. From the corner of his eyes, Mahiru watched Kuro finish the muffins like a starving man. He giggled slightly to himself and he was happy to see Kuro enjoy his food. He continued to clean the bakery as he spoke idle with him. Mahiru enjoyed their light conversation and he couldn’t stop smiling. “Thank you for keeping me company while I close the bakery. I shouldn’t take too long.”

They were neighbours and Mahiru couldn’t remember a time they didn’t know each other. Kuro was two years older than him so Mahiru would follow him like a little duckling when they were children. Over the years, they grew closer and he was now his best friend. His heart would make little flips whenever he saw him but Mahiru didn’t realize what it meant yet. He thought it was simpler to live in the moment with Kuro. After all, he couldn’t imagine a future they weren’t together.

“This is the last batch.” Mahiru placed the muffins in a basket and covered it with a cloth. They walked out of the bakery and Kuro watched the road carefully. It was late and they didn’t have much beside the moonlight to guide them. He didn’t say a word but Mahiru could see that he was slightly tense. If Kuro wasn’t with him, Mahiru was certain that he would be afraid as well.

He lightly touched his arm. With a warm smile, Mahiru said: “We should hurry home. People have been disappearing at night and it’s dangerous. Thank you for always walking me home.”

“The bakery is on my way home and I get to rest my legs there. Walking is troublesome.” Kuro said and Mahiru nodded wearily. “You pay me in food too.”

Mahiru knew that Kuro had a kind heart and that was the reason he walked him home. He glanced at his hand and thought of how strong they were. A part of him wanted to hold his hand but he stopped himself. He absentmindedly fiddled with his brown hair to keep his hands busy. “You’re always taking care of me, aren’t you? When I hurt my leg on our fishing trip, you carried me back to the village.”

“I couldn’t leave you.” Kuro mumbled the confession. He wanted to protect Mahiru’s smile because it was precious to him. He thought of another excuse so Mahiru wouldn’t know the feelings behind his actions. “Who else is going to bake me cookies?”

“Well, baking and science are very similar so maybe you can try it with Sensei.” At the mention of his father, Kuro became deathly quiet and a shadow crossed his face. Mahiru bit his lip, wondering if he should’ve mentioned his father. He had seen the family grow distant over the past three months and he wished he could do something to help. “Maybe I can give you two a baking class.”

“Baking and science are very different.” Kuro sighed heavily at his suggestion. The sweets Mahiru created in his bakery were quaint and warm. He couldn’t say the same for his father’s experiment. He looked to Mahiru again and his heart quivered. “Can you make me a promise?”

“Why the sudden question?” Mahiru tilted his head in confusion. But he didn’t question him before he nodded to him. “I’ll do anything for you, Kuro.”

“Just… Please, be careful at night. I might be busy next week and I won’t be able to walk you home. If someone strange approaches you, run. Go to the bakery or your friend’s house.” Kuro said. There was a tinge of desperation in his voice that puzzled Mahiru. Villagers had been disappearing mysteriously but something told him that Kuro’s fear ran deeper than rumours. “Promise me, Mahiru.”

“I promise I’ll be careful.” He stopped walking and stood in front of Kuro. He reached up to cup his cheek in his hand. Mahiru tried to read the emotions in his blue eyes but they were guarded for the first time since he knew Kuro. “Is something troubling you, Kuro? You can talk to me about it. The entire village is afraid but I’m not because I know we’ll protect each other.”

Mahiru took off his long, blue cloak and draped it over Kuro’s shoulders. He hoped that it would keep him warm and comfort him when they couldn’t be together. “I made a promise to you and I want you to give me one too. Will you lean on me when you need help?”

“You take on a lot of responsibilities already.” Mahiru was disappointed by his answer. He felt Kuro’s hand on the top of his head and warmth swelled in Mahiru’s chest in reaction. His hand fell away and he took a step back from him. He whispered, “We’re home. Remember to lock your doors and windows. Goodnight, Mahiru.”

“Goodnight, Kuro.” He said softly back to him. He wished he could spend more time with Kuro but it was already late. Mahiru stood in his doorway and watched Kuro walk to his home next door. Once they were certain that the other was safe, they waved to each other and then went into their home.

The door creaked loudly as Kuro closed the door behind him. His hand clutched over the blue fabric of Mahiru’s cloak. Kuro thought of the promise Mahiru wanted him to make. How could he promise to lean on him when he already made a vow to protect him? He refused to endanger Mahiru by pulling him into the terrible world he knew. Kuro groaned and ran his hand through his hair.

He walked down the steps to the basement where he knew his father was working. His father no longer tried to hide his experiments from him and Kuro missed the days he was blissfully ignorant. He entered his lab and found his father toying with a cat doll. Its broken movement sent a chill down Kuro’s back. He did his best to ignore it and avoid acknowledging the demon.

His father only noticed that he was in the room once he knocked on the table. Kuro dropped a small bag next to the doll. “I collected the stones you asked me to. Can’t you buy them yourself? I told you I don’t want to be involved with these experiments. It’s impossible to make someone immortal so this research is pointless. I don’t want to see people I care for die!”

“There is one thing that is immortal: people’s sins. Sloth, pride, envy, wrath, greed, gluttony, lust and melancholy. That energy is eternal. If I can use people’s sin to create a powerful creature, I will be closer to my goal. It will be my immortal servant. All I need is a better host than this doll.” His father went on but Kuro had stopped listening to him long ago.

Kuro didn’t agree with his father’s goals but there was little he could do to stop him. If he told others about the experiments, they would execute his father. He was a teenager and he didn’t know if he could defy his father. He felt a mixture of fear and loyalty towards the man who raised him. Another sigh escaped Kuro and he started to leave.

His father’s voice stopped him. “You don’t invite your friend Mahiru here anymore.”

“You’re creating vampires in our basement! What if that  _thing_ escapes and attacks Mahiru? I want to keep him as far from this as possible.” He turned back and faced his father. He gripped the edge of the table until his knuckles became white. “Don’t hurt him. I’m certain he has never committed a sin that you can use for your experiments.”

“I won’t kill your friend. A human would be a better host for this power than a doll though.” He mused to himself. “Of course, if that human isn’t strong enough, this power could kill him.”

“Stay away from Mahiru!” Kuro hit the doll off the table in his anger. His father barely reacted to his outburst and merely went on to write in his notebook. He snarled at the man but he knew that it was impossible to stop his father once he thought of an experiment. He couldn’t count the number of times he begged his father to stop before he gave up.

Mahiru’s soft smile appeared in his mind. He was trusting and kind hearted, which his father would take advantage. Kuro thought there were nothing he could do to stop his father but maybe he could protect Mahiru. He took a shaky breath and faced his father.

“If your experiment fails and something happens to Mahiru, people will immediately suspect our family. He isn’t like the others you’ve taken. His uncle loves him and he will tear apart this village to find him. I will help him as well.” He strengthened his resolve and went on. “If you want a test subject, use me. You can tell the village I ran away if anything happens and they’ll believe you.”

“For months, you had been against this but you suddenly want to be a part of it now?” He raised a brow at him.

“On the condition that you stay away from Mahiru.”

* * *

Mahiru made his way down the street to the shoe cobbler shop Kuro worked at. Lately, Kuro had been acting strange and he was growing more concerned each day. He noticed that he was weaker and had bruises on his arm. He asked him who caused the bruises but Kuro refused to tell him. Even if he wouldn’t tell him, he wanted to do whatever he could for him. He looked down at the lunch he packed for Kuro. Hopefully, he could make him open up while they ate together.

The bell chimed when Mahiru opened the door. He didn’t see Kuro immediately so he walked to the desk where the shop owner was polishing a shoe. Mahiru tapped his shoulder and said: “Excuses me, is Kuro having lunch in the backroom? I made him lunch and I was hoping that I could eat with him. I brought a scone for you as well, Sir.”

“Kuro didn’t come in today. I haven’t heard from him either.” The shop owner told him and Mahiru’s brows drew together in worry. He knew Kuro could be lazy but he wouldn’t skip work without telling someone. Also, Kuro told him he wanted to save money to buy his own home. Mahiru remembered the bruises Kuro had and his imagination began to race. What if something had happened to him?

“I’ll go to his house and check on him!” He told the man. Mahiru ran out of the shop without waiting to hear his reply. He needed to see if Kuro was safe and well. Since they were children, Kuro would take care of him and he wanted to do the same for him. He raced down the street and he was certain the other villagers thought he was mad.

He ignored their stares. The only thing on his mind was Kuro as he raced to his home. He hoped that Kuro had merely lost track of time and he was sleeping in bed. Mahiru reached his door and knocked frantically. Even though he knew it was rude, he didn’t stop knocking until someone opened the door. To his disappointment, it was Kuro’s father who appeared in the doorway.

“Good afternoon, Sensei. Is Kuro here?” Mahiru tried to look behind the man to see if he was in the house. “May I come in? I’m worried about Kuro and I really need to see him.”

“Kuro isn’t here.” Sensei told him. “He left the village. I don’t know where he intends to go.”

“You’re lying,” He couldn’t believe that Kuro would simply leave without telling him or saying goodbye. He knew that he intended to buy a house for himself but he didn’t think he would leave their tiny village. Mahiru pushed his way into the house and stormed to Kuro’s room. He needed to find his friend. He called his name and his voice echoed through the narrow hall.

Mahiru entered his room but it was empty. He bit his lip and he could only stare at the messy room. He scanned the room for any hint of where Kuro could be. On the bed, he found bloodied bandages and Mahiru’s fears worsened. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned sharply. Kuro’s father stood in the doorway.

“You should leave, Mahiru. Kuro isn’t here and I don’t think he wants to see you again.”

His voice was cold but his words implied that Kuro was still alive. Mahiru clung to that hope. “ _I_  want to see him though! I will find him again even if I have to search for him by myself. Nothing will make me give up on him.”

* * *

Kuro did his best not to fidget as Mahiru drew him in his sketchpad. It was still unbelievable to him that his best friend was sitting across from him. A thousand lonely years had passed since he was turned into a vampire and he missed Mahiru. He didn’t know if the person before him was a reincarnation or an ancestor of the Mahiru he knew when he was a human.

“Can I move now? It’s awkward sitting here with you staring at me like that.” He asked with a slight blush. Mahiru nodded to him and put down his pencil. Then, he hopped off his chair to sit on the couch next to Kuro. He leaned against his arm and tilted his sketchbook towards him.

“Thank you for letting me draw you for my art class. I’m not a great artist but I think this is my best one yet. Once I finish colouring this, I can get started on those muffins for the bake sale. You can taste test some as a reward for being my model.” Mahiru offered. He stretched his arm to grab his pencil case on the table because he didn’t want to move from Kuro’s side.

Kuro grabbed the case from him and placed it on his lap. He thanked him with a warm smile and that simple act made him flustered. Mahiru was oblivious to the effect he had on him and went on to colour his drawing. He picked up a blue colour pencil to shade his light hair. His eyes would drift back to Kuro and admire the unique colour of his hair.

He felt Kuro rest his cheek on his head and he knew that he was likely dozing off. He smiled to himself as he pictured the peaceful expression he had while he slept. At first, his lazy nature would annoy him but he grew to love his quirks. They were oddly familiar and comforting. Kuro felt like home to him even when they only first met.

Mahiru lightly stroked his blue hair before he returned to his homework. Unconsciously, he went to colour his eyes with the same turquoise. He stared at the drawing he made for a moment. He felt like the world start to spin around him and he closed his eyes. Memories that had long ago faded started to come back to Mahiru.

He stood and his colour pencils scattered over the ground. His sudden movement startled Kuro and he was confused. Mahiru’s eyes appeared dazed and far away. He took his hands and tried to pull him back. Kuro tilted his face up until their eyes met. “Are you okay, Mahiru? What happened?”

“… You disappeared.” His voice was small and it was almost a whisper. Mahiru brushed his bangs aside so he could see his red eyes better. They appeared blue for a moment and everything became clear to him. His own brown eyes began to fill with tears and they blurred his vision. Kuro tenderly wiped away his tears with his sleeve.

“What do you mean I disappeared? I’m right here.” Kuro kissed his forehead.

He was shocked by how Mahiru gripped his jacket. His hands were trembling as he yelled, “I promised to be careful when you asked me to. You couldn’t do the same when I asked you to lean on me. Then you vanished without telling me goodbye! Now you’ve come back to me a thousand years later as a vampire. Was the reason you left our village because of your father? I searched for you until I… died.”

“Oh God, Mahiru, do remember…” Kuro couldn’t finish because the implications were far too surreal to him. But Mahiru nodded. He had recovered his memories from when they were both human. Guilt fell onto his shoulder because he knew that leaving him must’ve hurt Mahiru. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you that I became a vampire. I didn’t want you to see me like this.”

“So, it was better for me to wonder if you were dead?” His retort cut Kuro far deeper than Mahiru intended. “Do you know how scared I was for you? I thought I lost my best friend— the person I loved! We’ve known each other for years but you believed that I would reject you for being a vampire? I never stopped looking for you, even after I died.”

“You never learned how to give up.” Kuro chuckled painfully and hugged Mahiru tightly against his chest. He decided not to tell him about the deal he made with his father because he knew Mahiru would blame himself. He kissed his brown hair and rubbed his back. “We’re together now and I won’t leave you again. I promise.”

“Can you make me another promise?” He tilted his face up to him. Mahiru once again asked, “Will you lean on me when you need help?”

“Of course, you’re my partner now.”

**Author's Note:**

> I know there's no confirmation that Sensei was Kuro's father but I think it's an interesting theory.


End file.
